More drama surfaced on the penultimate day of action in ICC WCL Division 4 in Malaysia as only Vanuatu’s game against Denmark got completed with the other two getting washed out due to wet weather conditions.
With top 2 qualification spots still up for grabs, play-off matches for positions have been cancelled for the final day’s play in Malaysia as matches between Malaysia/Bermuda and Jersey/Uganda will be replayed to get the results.
So close it was for Uganda that only 2 balls were required to be bowled in their innings when the heavens broke up fiercely and play could be not resumed due to soggy outfield and bowler run-up’s. Uganda were ahead on D/L score at 19.4 overs and will be bitterly dejected to have the match played again. Not that Jersey would complain, as it gives them another chance to qualify themselves.
Host’s Malaysia will also get to play their rematch for qualifying while Bermuda will look to win by a heavy margin to stay out of relegation zone. As it stands now, Vanuatu and Bermuda are the two countries set for relegation if no matches are finished on 06th May 2018 or the results don’t go their way.
Vanuatu did exactly what they did on the final day of WCL Division 5 in South Africa, when they upstaged much fancied Italy to claim the 2nd qualification spot into Division 4. They did it again on 05th May, aa they beat the table-toppers Denmark in a close match to claim their second win of the tournament and will now wait for the results of the two matches to see if they somehow manage to finish in the top 4.
Denmark, on the other hand, have all to blame to themselves as they are not yet out of danger of losing out on qualification after looking the best team in the competition so far after winning three of their five group matches.
If Jersey manage to beat Uganda by a healthy margin, they will leapfrog Denmark in the points table and qualify while Uganda would like to like to either win or keep the score margins to as low as possible to qualify for Division 3.
In another last minute development, the match between Malaysia and Bermuda got shifted from Royal Selangor ground to Kinrara Oval.
Brief Scores:
Denmark 234/9 in 50 overs (Anders Bulow 57, Hamid Shah 50, Freddie Klokker 44, Taranjit Bharaj 36, Patrick Matautaava 3/39, Nalin Nipiko 2/40, Apolinaire Stephen 2/49, Andrew Mansale 1/34) lost to Vanuatu 238/5 in 49.1 overs (Jonathon Dunn 86, Joshua Rasu 69, Patrick Matautaava 53, Shane Deitz 11 n.o, Saif Ahmad 3/51, Hamid Shah 2/31) by 5 wickets
